Nebuliser

Nebuliser is a delay line
granulator and granular filter that
operates on audio input buffered in a delay line. The buffered audio is
chopped into small grains, each of which passes through a bandpass filter.
The grains can be output at varying densities, creating clouds of grains
ranging from sparse tics to dense drones and textures. Each grain has a
randomly determined amplitude,
pan, transposition, delay time, feedback, duration, envelope shape, filter cutoff and resonance
amount (Q). You can quantize grain
onset times to create rhythmic
patterns, and the interonset time parameter (IOT) lets you determine the time
between the start of one grain and the next. You can also statically sample
the delay line with the freeze parameter. The mix (ratio) of the input signal
and the granulated sound can also be controlled.

Many parameters make use of range sliders to specify a range of values; in
such cases each grain is assigned a random value from within the specified
range. A single value is selected for each grain, and the value doesn't
change for the lifetime of the grain.

All of the processes above are shared with DLGranulator. The
main difference between the contraptions is that Nebuliser also passes
each grain through a bandpass
filter. You can specify the frequencies of these bandpass filters, as
well as the widths of the filters used on each grain.

This contraption synchronizes to the global clock when using the
Quant (Quantize) parameters. Remember to press play.

Parameters

Specifies the range of possible stereo panning locations available
for each grain.

Delay

(DelayTime)

Specifies the range of possible sampling delays times available for
each grain. Each grain uses a separately selected segment of audio from
the delay line. If the minimum and maximum values of Delay are the
same, the output will be a granulated version of the input signal,
delayed by the amount specified. If the minimum and maximum values of
Delay specify a range, this has the effect of time-smearing the input
signal (each grain will be assigned a random delay time from the
specified range). Delay ranges from 0 to 9.5
seconds.

Feed

(Feedback)

Specifies how much of the granulated output is fed back into the
delay line input.

Mix

(WetDryMix)

Specifies the ratio between granulated and input sound.

Trans

(PitchScaler)

Specifies the range of possible transposition factors available for
each grain. The range is +/- 2400cents (two octaves) from the original pitch.
Positive transposition factors shift the output higher in pitch.
Negative factors lower the pitch. Trans affects the rate (speed) at
which each grain is played back.

IOT

(InteronsetTime)

Determines the time from the beginning of one grain to the beginning
of the next. If the grain duration (GDur) is less than the interonset
time, a particled texture will result. If the grain duration exceeds
the interonset time, grains overlap, making it possible to create
smooth textures. Interonset time ranges from 0.5 ms to
2 seconds.

Quant (QuantizeAmount)

When the clock is running, Nebuliser allows the onset times of all
grains to be quantized. Set the amount of quantization from none (0%)
to total (100%). The clock must be running for Quant to work.

Quant. Period

(QuantizePeriodMultiplier)

The Quantize Period settings below the Quant slider lets you specify
the quantization period (spacing of quantization pulses) as a rhythmic
unit multiplied by a number.The clock must be running for grain
quantization to work.

Shape

(AttDecRatio)

Each grain has an amplitude envelope consisting of an attack,
sustain and decay portion. Shape determines the duration of the sustain
portion relative to the duration of the attack and decay portions. When
shape is 0, the envelope is a triangle, when it approaches
1, the attack and decay portions shorten and the envelope
becomes more rectangular.

Skew

(GrainSkew)

Specifies the range of possible envelope skew factors available for
each grain. Skew adjusts the relative duration of the attack and decay
portions of the grain envelope. Smaller values of skew decrease the
attack time and increase the decay time. Larger values of skew decrease
the decay time and increase the attack time.

Freeze

Pauses input to the delay line, allowing the delay line to be
statically sampled for time-freezing effects.

Max Grains (MaxGrains)

Controls the maximum number of simultaneously overlapping grains,
ranging from 1-200. Due to the limited processing
power of computers, you cannot mix an infinite number of overlapping
grains in real time. Even the maximum number of grains in Nebuliser
(200), can be too hard for slower computers to mix. Avoid
audio glitches on slower computers by lowering the Max Grains setting.
Lower settings will, however, result in a thinner texture.

DCor

(Decorrelation)

Controls the level of correlation/decorrelation between randomized
grain parameters. When set to 0, parameters for a single grain
are correlated so that, for example, higher pitched grains are panned
to the right. When set to 1, the relationship between grain
parameters is decorrelated, or completely random.

FFreq

(FilterFrequency)

Defines the range of possible frequencies from which each grain's
bandpass filter center frequency is selected.The frequency range is
from 20 – 18,000 Hz.

FQ

(FilterQ)

Defines the range of possible widths for the bandpass filters used
on each individual grain. The higher the setting the narrower the
range. A narrower range will result in tone-like sounds that ring more,
as the filter will accentuate tighter bands of frequencies.